


Smells like freedom, patriotism and rebellion

by cpt_winniethepooh



Series: Happy Steve Bingo fills [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: -Ish, 5+1 Things, Avengers Family, Avengers Movie Night, Bucky Barnes Returns, Bucky Barnes is a little shit, Dorks in Love, Found Family, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, avengers discover avengers merchandise, bucky tries out a new scent and steve tries to figure out what it is, steve rogers is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 15:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18524287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cpt_winniethepooh/pseuds/cpt_winniethepooh
Summary: Bucky discovers a new cologne for himself and Steve discovers that Bucky is still a little shit, even after everything.Or 5 (...7?) times Steve tries to figure out what's Bucky's new significant scent and one time he succeeds. Written for the prompt "you smell really nice" for the Happy Steve Bingo.





	Smells like freedom, patriotism and rebellion

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea since December and now that I'm done with my longfic I finally got around to the execution!  
> And then I realized I had had a prompt on my Happy Steve Bingo card called "you smell really nice". I was like, perfect, and so I'm belatedly adding it to my fills.

They say love changes everything.

Steve doesn't know if it's true, exactly — but that may be because he doesn't remember a time when he _wasn't_ in love with Bucky Barnes.

Love still was the main driving force in his life, still, if that counts. Love for Bucky had him marching into Austria to liberate the prison camp; love for Bucky lost him the will to live and put the plane into the Atlantic.

Love for Bucky had him tear down SHIELD and drop his shield and take the blows.

Without his love for Bucky, he would not be where, when and who he is.

 

But he is Captain America, he is in the 21st century, and he is living in the Avengers Tower with Bucky, and suddenly the world changes. New York is no longer alien and unwelcoming to him, instead it's an adventure waiting to happen, a treasure waiting to be discovered. Fighting supervillains is no longer a thinly veiled attempt to run away from his own problems, instead it's where he has Bucky's back and Bucky has his, just like when they were in the playground but better. The food, the music, the art, the people — everything glows and welcomes and interests him, now that his heart is finally open for a new chapter.

Okay, so love _does_ change everything; sue him. He just got the love of his life back, obviously he sees the world in a different light.

So when one morning he leans down to kiss Bucky who's sitting at the kitchen table, and he catches a foreign scent, his first thought is that maybe he's just imagining it. Surely Bucky doesn't actually _smell_ like citrus and sandalwood and — he sniffs at the air — just a hint of vanilla.

Bucky's never liked citrus-y scents.

Bucky raises an eyebrow at him. "Everything okay, Rogers? You look like you're trying to think, and we all know how usually that ends."

"Fuck you," Steve says jovially.

"You have," Bucky answers, and the mystery of the smell is forgotten in another kiss and freshly brewed coffee and sugary pastries.

 

The "maybe he's just imagining it" becomes wishful thinking after a few days. Because why would his imagination make up something rather obnoxious?

Sure, he does imagine things sometimes. Like Bucky's smile when Steve's singing off-key after a rough night just to cheer him up, and Bucky makes annoyed faces except for when Steve isn't looking directly at him. Or the taste of his Ma's cooking when Bucky's making him dinner, even though the spices and the flavors are nothing like back in the thirties. But usually they don't last long, and are generally pleasant and welcomed apparitions.

The smell, however, lingers unavoidably when Bucky is around.

It's in the bedsheets when Steve's cleaning after a steamy night, it's there when they're sparring in the gym, and it's even there after a mission, permiating Bucky's gear.

It’s not horrible, at first. But after a good few days he starts to associate Bucky with the smell, and vice versa, and that isn't good. Bucky should smell differently. Bucky _used_ to smell differently.

Steve hates himself for thinking that way. This Bucky is different than the old, and that is fine. And he has the right to smell however he wants to.

 

But a tiny part of Steve hangs onto maybe it being just his imagination, so he corners the Avengers.

First is Sam, because he will give Steve shit if he _isn't_ the first, not that he doesn't give Steve shit anyway.

"What do you mean, have I noticed how Barnes smells?" Sam looks affronted.

Steve realizes his mistake too late.

"I mean—"

"No, just — man, I went around the world with you after him. I watched your sad face when you were thinking about him. And I'm glad you got him back, don't get me wrong, but no, I _have not noticed how he smells_."

 

Tony is definitely out of the question. Steve knows better than that. He's afraid of the look Nat will inevitably give him, so he turns to Wanda next — maybe she is playing tricks with his mind.

Turns out there's really no easy way of asking that, though.

"Well, my powers can have an effect on all senses, not just visuals, no," Wanda says. "And creating visions usually involves using more than one sense anyway."

"Yeah, but can you, um, trick one sense? Constantly?"

"How do you mean?"

"Like, make someone see, or smell, or whatever, you know, something that isn't actually there. For an extended period of time, or often enough for it to be consistent..."

Polite disbelief gives over to horror on her face. "What? No! I can't make people _hallucinate_!"

"I didn't mean—"

"I wouldn't do that to anybody,  can you imagine? They'd think they'd gone mad!"

"Yeah, I know," Steve sighs.

"Has that happened to you?" her eyes are suddenly narrow, curious. "Is somebody playing tricks with your mind?"

"Only my own mind, I think," Steve admits, and rubs his neck. "Nothing serious, don't worry."

"I do worry if you are seeing things," Wanda says. "That can't be healthy."

"I am," Steve insists, but she isn't convinced, which means that Steve has to stammer out the embarrassing explanation of how Bucky smells.

Wanda listens intently, however, luck isn't on Steve's side: a loud _pop_ , and then out of the blue Natasha appears with a smirk and popping a gum.

"Oh, is this about centenarians trying to be modern?" she asks.

"What?" Clint asks, also out of the blue. Steve really doesn't like spies.

"Barnes, of Barnes and Noble, is drenching himself in cologne," Nat says smugly.

"What?" Steve and Clint ask in unison.

"Haven't you noticed?" she stares at Clint, and Wanda has to hide her grin behind a hand.

"I thought that was a desensitasion thing!" Clint protests.

"You mean you think he fell into a trash can, like you, and wanted to cover the smell," Nat says.

"...yeah," Clint admits, and this time Wanda outright laughs.

"Never change," Nat says with an eyeroll, but fondly, and they leave before Steve can ask further questions.

"At least your mind is safe," Wanda offers.

"But what about my nose?" Steve asks.

 

The new scent is definitely unlike Bucky. Not that they had enough money for proper perfumes and stuff back in the day, but even if they had, Steve doubts Bucky would've chosen this.

He can't point his finger onto what the problem is. He can't even identify what's in it, other than the very typical citrus, sandalwood and vanilla — and Bucky can chose whatever he wants, really.

But just smell so… _cheap._

Steve is just too spoiled, probably, what with spending his time around Tony and Pepper who only get the best of the best.

But his interest is piqued enough to take the next step, now that he got confirmation that he isn't going crazy. He would never violate Bucky's trust by going through his things, but most of their toiletries are in a shared cabinet in the bathroom, so it's not exactly _snooping._ Steve is just looking around to see if he spots something out of the ordinary.

A preliminary search turns out nothing, though.

When the smell doesn't go away after another few days, and he can't find the source in the most obvious places, he assumes a more direct approach.

"I'm gonna buy shampoo and shower gel too," Steve says, when he's writing the shopping list. They usually order online, but sometimes they go out in person — and old habits die hard, so they still keep a piece of paper on the fridge door with the needed necessities. "Want something?"

"Nah, I'm good for a while on that front, thanks," Bucky says.

Steve frowns, disappointed, but he doesn't give up.

 

"You seem sore," Steve says when they're cuddling on the couch under the pretense of watching a movie. "Lemme give you a massage?"

Bucky arches an eyebrow at him, then smiles sweetly. "If you don't mind — I still feel that hit I got during the last mission."

"Which oil would you like?" Steve is already on his feet, moving towards their scented oils, and secretly hoping that Bucky will direct him elsewhere, where he wouldn't have thought to look.

"The one with the wild berries," Bucky says lazily, already pulling his shirt off and getting comfortable on his stomach.

Steve's heart sinks, but he does have a half-naked Bucky in front of him, awaiting some relief for his soreness, so he really has nothing to complain about in the end.

 

Steve's next effort really isn't a calculated move, but an opportunistic one that was spur of the moment.

"I really hate these modern razors," he complains at the useless plastic thing that gave up on him midway through his morning shave.

"You say, as if you have any real comparison," Bucky singsongs at him.

"I _did_ shave before the serum!" Steve protests.

"No, _I_ shaved you — you woulda used a razor to slice some douchebag up, not to get rid of your joke of a fuzz."

Steve almost tells Bucky to fuck off, but then he thinks better of it. "Well, you can still show me your superb shaving skills, if you're so sure about them," he challenges.

Bucky raises an eyebrow at him, and his eyes shine. "If you want me to shave you, Rogers, all you have to do is ask — I ain't the one doing stupid shit just 'cause someone dared me."

"This isn't stupid," Steve mutters, and Bucky draws him in for a kiss.

"I will shave you; you know I love getting my hands on you."

Steve melts into his embrace readily.

And he does love having Bucky's hands on himself, too, so he almost forgets why he even asked in the first place — but Bucky uses the regular shaving cream and then Steve's aftershave.

Still no source of the misterious new scent.

But Bucky kisses him so sweetly afterwards that he can't really be mad.

 

The candles are a complete accident.

Steve is trying his best to give Bucky everything — they never had much when they were growing up, and then the war took even more, and they could never even go on a date, or at least not openly. But now, they can do whatever they want to do. They can have date nights. They can hold hands. They can share romantic dinners in candlelight while soft music plays and there are roses on the table.

Steve is busy telling all this to Nat, because he's a sap and she's a spy specialized in getting intel out of people, and she just keeps looking at him funnily.

"What?"

"Have you ever actually _done_ that?" she asks knowingly.

"Well... no."

The realization is swiftly followed by the execution of said romantic dinner idea, much to the surprise of Bucky returning from the gym sweatily one night.

"Something's burning," are his first words, before he sees the dining room.

Steve doesn't let himself be discouraged. "I have something for you. Well, for us, really. Come and see?"

Bucky does, and the light of the candles are reflected in his shining eyes. Steve subtly nudges a rose to stand taller in the vase.

"Did you cook?" Bucky asks with clear warning bells in his tone.

"...I got us some fancy food from the corner you like so much."

It's not cheating and still counts as romantic. Steve can't cook. He wants to, but anything more complicated than scrambled eggs ends up inedible.

"And flowers. And candles," Bucky muses. He reaches a metal arm out to touch the petals, and Steve is struck by how much he loves Bucky — he loves being with him, experiencing the world with him, even seeing the prosthetic that was the source of so much pain is now reassuring. _Bucky is here._

"Take a shower and have dinner with me?" Steve asks, fluttering his eyelashes, and Bucky snorts but agrees.

Ten minutes later he's back in clean clothes, Steve has just finished filling their plates, and Bucky greets him by a long and deep kiss.

"Old fashioned romance," Bucky grins. "Are you trying to woo a guy?"

"I might be," Steve says cheekily. "Is it working?"

"It may," Bucky says. He sniffs at a candle curiously.

"Roses," Steve says. "I didn't want it to clash, with the, you know, actual roses."

Bucky nods, and the fork is on his way to his mouth when he snorts again.

"What?"

"You could just ask, you know," Bucky says with an eyeroll. "Subtle doesn't suit you."

"What?" Steve asks, completely lost.

Bucky looks at him in amusement, then blinks. "My new cologne?" He offers. "The one you weren't able to identify?"

It takes an embarrassingly long amount of time for Steve to get what he means.

"Oh," he says, blushing. "I didn't— this isn't about that. Didn't even cross my mind."

Luckily he's an open book to Bucky, who soon realizes he's serious.

"Sorry," Bucky mumbles. "I thought—"

"I really just wanted to do something nice for you."

"I know, Stevie, I know you're a nice fella like that," and then Bucky is up and kissing him again in consolation.

The food is definitely in need of a reheat by the time they're done.

"I really do appreciate it," Bucky keeps saying and caressing Steve's face with a finger.

Steve just nuzzles him in reply — but he was, is, and always will be a little shit, so when they are sitting properly again, he clears his throat.

"Since you brought it up..." he begins.

Bucky raises an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"What _is_ that new smell?"

Bucky laughs. "Was wondering how long it would take you to bring it up... hold on."

He disappears in the bathroom, and comes back with a bottle in hand from God knows where. He tosses it at Steve, who catches it, and—

It's a blue glass rectangle, with a red top, and on the bottle is the familiar red white and blue shild.

Steve's shield.

Cap's shield.

Looking at it from the side, the words CAPTAIN AMERICA are printed in bold, white letters.

"What," Steve asks, and Bucky laughs again.

"You have a perfume!"

"What," Steve takes the top off to spray some onto himself, and yes, it is Bucky's new citrus-sandalwood-vanilla scent indeed.

No wonder it smelled cheap.

"And you brought this?" Steve gapes.

"Why not," Bucky says. "Always enjoyed having you all over me, after all."

 

Bruce is the only one late from the team’s next movie night, and when he arrives, he’s not alone: the foul, acrid/burning stench that accompanies him penetrates the whole room instantly.

“What happened?” Pepper asks worriedly. The movie is paused and they all look at him in question.

“I miscalculated,” Bruce waves. “Peter came over and we were experimenting… nothing to worry about, but I’d avoid Lab 6 for a few days.”

They settle as it becomes clear that it’s nothing serious, no assembly required, but the smell remains.

“Jarvis, pick up the ventillation. It’s suffocating in here,” Tony says.

“Sorry,” Bruce blushes.

Nat casts a knowing look at Steve’s way. “Or you could always ask the supersoldiers for some new scent-tips,” she says cheekily.

Steve rolls his eyes. “I think Bruce is fine as he is.”

“Maybe he has his own _eau de toilette_ on the shelf somewhere,” she says casually, far too casually, and Steve knows that not only does she know about the exact nature of Bucky’s bottle, but that Steve is also aware now.

“What?” The team is looking between them intently.

“Bucky here has bought himself a new cologne,” she explains helpfully. “It’s called _Captain America_.”

Steve reddens and groans, but Bucky just laughs smugly.

“What!”

“That exists?!”

“What does it smell like?” Pepper asks.

“You only have to smell Bucky to find out,” Clint says.

“Don’t even dare,” Bucky warns, still joviantly — and knowing his past, nobody tries.

“If it doesn’t smell like freedom and patriotism…” Tony wonders. “Could you even bottle that?”

“Patriotism… please,” Bucky adds his own two cents.“It should smell like stupidity and disobedience.”

“I bet I could find a way to bottle that,” Tony says, excited. Pepper stifles a sigh.

“You know you have your own, right?” she asks.

“What?”

“Most Avengers do. Some independent superheroes as well.”

“How do you know that?” Tony says affrontedly. “Why don’t _I_ know that?”

“Maybe they didn’t want to inflate your ego more…” Clint says, but Nat cuffs him at the back of the head.

“You also have one, idiot.”

“Really? What does it smell like?”

“They all smell pretty similar,” Bucky says. “Generic _male_ scents. Exactly what you’d expect for 11$.”

“ELEVEN DOLLARS?!” Tony’s affrontedness turns into outrage. “What— _how—_ ”

“It was on sale,” Bucky shurgs. “Yours has less vanilla in it, I think.”

“Oh my God,” Tony says.

“Honey, it’s okay—”

“ELEVEN DOLLARS!”

“Of all the merch they have of you, that’s what you have a problem with?”

“Jarvis, order a few bottles for me, _now._ I need to make a way to bottle what my lab smells like…”

At that, the issue of what Bucky smells like, or what a scent named after Steve _should_ smell like is forgotten. The team launches into an elongated and semi-serious discussion about what Tony’s would be: new metal, oil and grease, money, or — Pepper ventures — chocolates and roses.

Bucky smirks at Steve knowingly, who blushes, and they share a chaste kiss while the team is still busy with their theories.

Maybe love changes everything, maybe it doesn't. What is certain, however, is that Bucky Barnes has always been a little shit, and Steve Rogers has, does and will always love him as such.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the "Captain America Eau De Toilette" at the drugstore, on sale for 11$, and I had to, okay, I just couldn't not.  
> And then I went back and bought the Iron Man one too. Because apparently all you need to do to sell me stuff I don't need is to put my faves on the bottle XD BUT THEY SPARK SO MUCH JOY OKAY---  
> They both smell very similar - the Iron Man one is maybe a bit more vanilla-y and Cap's a bit more citrus-y, but scent isn't my best sense - I used the description I found online. They don't smell very high end, truth be told, but I still love them.  
> Sadly I was lying in the fic: I only found the Cap, IM and Spider-Man versions, thought maybe they just don't carry it in my country.  
> When I told my friends they asked me if Cap's smelled like freedom, and my legit reply was that it smells like rebellion XD And then I imagined Bucky buying it just to fuck with Steve, and here we are.
> 
> Hope you liked it, feel free to scream at me on [tumblr](http://cpt-winniethepooh.tumblr.com/)! (i have more pics of the bottles [here](http://cpt-winniethepooh.tumblr.com/post/184301294794))


End file.
